Apparatus and method for providing continuity of operation in a system

(19)

(11)

EP 0 720 096 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	19.06.2002 Bulletin 2002/25

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	03.07.1996 Bulletin 1996/27

(21)	Application number: 96103428.7

(22)	Date of filing: 04.09.1989

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: G06F 11/14

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	DE FR GB

(30)

Priority:

06.09.1988 JP 22274388

(62)	Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
	89308923.5 / 0365128

(71)	Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
	Shinjuku-ku Tokyo (JP)

(72)	Inventor:
	Hanaoka, Masaaki, c/o Seiko Epson Corporation Suwa-shi, Nagano-ken (JP)

(74)	Representative: Sturt, Clifford Mark et al
	Miller Sturt Kenyon 9 John Street London WC1N 2ES London WC1N 2ES (GB)

(54)	Apparatus and method for providing continuity of operation in a system

(57) The invention provides apparatus in which the state of a system at a particular point can be preserved for subsequent processing. The apparatus comprises detecting means (11) for detecting an event indicating that a process for saving the state of the system is to be started, and system state saving means (12) responsive to an instruction from the detecting means for generating for supply to a non-volatile memory (72), data output representing the contents of a main memory, I/O status and CPU status. System state restoring means (14, 15) are operable to read out from the non-volatile memory data previously stored therein for restoring the contents of the main memory, the I/O status and the CPU status to a previous condition. Post restoration processing means (16) are also provided for controlling processing after the previous condition is restored to provide continuity with processing leading to the previous condition.

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